Coming Home II
by My.Sweet.Obessions
Summary: /RE-WRITE/ Melody killed a man. And she's spent the last four years rotting away in a cell over it. But when the Ark selects 100 prisoners to be sent down to Earth, Melody is given another chance. The 100 are given a new start on Earth; if it's inhabitable after radiation destroyed everything nearly 100 years before. They must fight to survive; and they aren't alone.
1. Chapter 1

{Disclaimer: I do not own The 100, nor do I take credit for any of characters/plotlines that were created by the show's producers.}

\- This story is not a sequel to _Coming Home_ ; it's a re-write and is NOT intended to replace the original story, as I hold the original work very near and dear to my heart, and _nothing_ could replace it. I would simply like to further explore and portray the events that unfold around our lovely heroine. The goal of this re-write is to include more detail, more insight into our character's lives, and there will possibly be a few extra chapters/scenes that weren't included in the first draft. You do NOT have to read this story to enjoy the original. Think of this as bonus content 😊 –

 **[1]**

The Ark was many things to many different people, but above all it was a space station.

Composed of twelve smaller stations, each representing a different nationality of what had once been civilizations on a planet called Earth, and home to what remained of the human race, the Ark was man kind's last hope.

There were some who viewed the Ark as their own personal salvation. It was an answer to the prayers of those who lived on after the bombs fell. A way to preserve humanity despite the loss of the mother planet. And although the original 'Arkians' were long gone by now, their hopeful spirit still lived on in the generation of their great-great-great grandchildren who had been raised on stories of clean, running water and lush vegetation and wild animals and hope.

To others, like our heroine, the Ark represented damnation. It was little more than a hollow, metal box floating aimlessly through the sky, a temporary home for those whose spirits were born aloft on the wings of imagination; their imaginings varying, but always coming back to the same principle; justice for the wrongdoings that they'd suffered at the hands of the Ark.

* * *

When she woke, the cell was cold.

Well, it was colder than usual. Prison Station, generally referred to as The Sky Box or Lockup by the inmates, was always cold for some reason and Melody never really knew whether she was actually physically cold or if it was some sort of psychological side-effect of the prolonged isolation from the rest of the world that put the chill in her blood.

Regardless, today was one of those days where she found herself wishing for an extra layer.

As much as she could use an extra hour or two, sleep was out of the question. Melody was a self-proclaimed insomniac, and the result was usually a few hours of restless sleep that just barely provided enough fuel to keep her going throughout the day. Even if she had been able to sleep, the icy air wouldn't allow it. It was the kind of cold that seemed to seep into your skin and burrow into your bones, leaving you cold and achy all over. All thoughts of sleep vanishing, Melody sat up in her little cot and glanced expectantly towards the wrought-iron door. Her internal clock told her that it was nearing time for morning rations.

Most days, her food was served to her through a little slot in the door. One of the 'perks' of isolation; she didn't eat in the mess hall. On other days, when rations were running low, the guards conveniently 'forgot' to stop at her cell. Those were the days where she didn't eat at all. Never two days in a row and never more than three times a week, but often enough that she was well-used to the gnawing hunger that had settled permanently into the pit of her stomach.

There was the sounds of footsteps approaching outside of her cell door. Melody expected to hear the sound of the little steel flap snapping shut after her rations were given, but instead there was silence. A few moments passed and then with a soft _hiss,_ the steel door slid open and revealed two guards.

"Prisoner 0712."

The two armed guards stepped into her cell and Melody's surprised doe eyes followed them. Her fingers curled into the fabric of the sheets that pooled around her waist. With slow, nearly undetectable movements she slid her way towards the edge of the bed. One slender, ivory-colored calf emerged from beneath the hem of a threadbare quilt.

She was ready to run.

There was no reason for them to be coming into her room at all, _ever_ , let alone first thing on a Saturday morning. This was solitary confinement. Melody wasn't allowed to socialize with anyone, not even the guards who cast her fleeting glances through the wrought-iron bars that made a pathetic window at the top of her cell door. She wasn't granted visitation, nor access to the recreational facilities, nor leave of any kind.

There was only one explanation for this unannounced visit.

They were here to kill her.

Understanding dawned on Melody and a look of pure terror crossed her face. Her grip on the bedspread tightened, her knuckles turning white. The guards inched their way closer to her, closing the gap. When there was just a few steps remaining between them and her, Melody leapt from the bed and flew across the room with her white cotton sheets billowing after her. Clutching the covers to her chest, Melody turned to face the guards.

"I'm not eighteen yet." There was a quiver in her voice. She hated the sound of it, depicting her like a frightened child.

But wasn't she?

The rules of The Ark stated that no person under the age of eighteen could be 'floated' before their eighteenth birthday. Floating was the Ark's most popular mode of punishment; it was a death sentence. When Melody turned eighteen in a few more months, her file was supposed to be reviewed and then The Council would determine her fate. Executing her before then would be a breach of their stupid laws, the same laws that got her thrown in here in the first place.

"Prisoner 0712," The first guard repeated himself at the same time the second drew his weapon. "Is that correct?"

"Yes." Melody whispered.

"Melody A. Pond?"

"Yes."

"Come with us, please." Said the guard, outstretching his hand.

As Melody stood there staring at his open, inviting palm, the crackle of electricity from the shock baton filled the air. There was no option in the matter. The 'please' was nothing more than a formality. She was surprised that the guard even uttered it.

Between the shock batons and the pistols that both guards were equipped with, Melody stood no chance of escaping _or_ fighting them off. Even if they were unarmed she wouldn't have lasted more than a second against either one of them separately, let alone together. She was small for her age, short and underweight. Of the little mass she had, none of it was muscle. And even if she did somehow manage to escape them, where would she go? She would be a fugitive and there was nowhere to run on The Ark.

"Please. I'm not eighteen yet." Her words were her only weapons, her only defense. "You can't do this."

This time, they didn't ask nicely. One guard grabbed Melody roughly by the right arm, another by the left. Their grips were tight enough that she winced and in the morning there would surely be bruises dotting her skin. If she made it to the morning.

They marched in sync with Melody suspended in between them, giving her no chance to so much as drag her feet. Her head whipped from side to side, searching for any sort of compassion, but both guards remained impassive.

"You can't do this!" She insisted again, thrashing wildly. "You can't!"

But the scary part was that they _could._

Upon realizing this, Melody let her body go limp and what little fight she had drained from her body. What was the point? Why waste the last few minutes of her life fighting a losing battle? There was nothing she could do now. It was too late.

The guards marched her out of the cell and into the hallway where they were greeted by a buzz of activity. All along the rows of cells, doors were being opened and prisoners were being led out. Some were screaming and trying to break away. Others were walking silently, having accepted their fate. They were walked down the halls in lines of two and led from the prison station without looking back.

Melody tried to figure out what was happening. The guards couldn't be floating _all_ of them. No, if dozens of teenagers suddenly went missing that would arise suspicions. After all, some of them still had people that cared. Was it quarantine then? There could be an outbreak of strep throat or the chicken pox. It hadn't happened since before Melody was born, but there was nothing saying it was impossible.

Still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that said something wasn't quite right...

"What is this?" Melody asked lowly. "You can't be floating all of us."

There was no answer from either guard. They were acting as if she weren't even there, which was pretty funny considering the fact that they were literally _carrying her_ down the hallway. Their silence was unsettling and it made her question her logic. All of these prisoners disappearing would be suspicious, but this was _The Ark_..

"You can't." She said again, more to herself than to either of them. "You just can't."

"You've said enough," Snapped one of the guards. The one who had drawn his weapon. He tightened his grip until there was an audible _pop._ "Shut it."

Melody whimpered.

"Hey, easy Smyth." The first guard, slightly older than the second, gave his partner a look of disapproval. When he looked over at Melody, his gaze softened slightly. "You're not being floated."

"What?" She blinked. "I'm not?"

"No." He spoke quietly. "You and 99 other prisoners have been selected to undergo a mission for the good of the Ark."

 _A mission for the good of the Ark._ The words painted a pretty picture. Noble, even. Warriors riding off into battle to save their homeland. In theory, maybe it was noble. But Melody had a gift for reading between the lines and she heard the truth behind the carefully chosen words, words that had likely come from the mouth of the chancellor himself.

"But then-" A warning growl from the second guard cut Melody off mid-stride.

She forced herself to remain silent as the guards led her and countless others down the seemingly endless hallway. Absently she thought, _I don't remember it being this long before._ Granted the first time she'd walked down this hallway had been under different circumstances. Then, Melody had been a scared thirteen year old girl. A pitiful freckled-faced kid with big eyes and a life that was over before it had even begun.

The only reason Melody hadn't been floated for her crimes then was because of her age. Some argued that she was too young to be floated. Launching a thirteen year old girl into space unprotected was simply inhumane. Others argued that she should be punished accordingly. The subject of her punishment had gone back and forth among the members of The Council, but eventually it had been decided that Melody would be put in The Sky Box until she was old enough to undergo another trial. And there she had sat for the last four years, secluded from the world.

A small part of her almost missed the predictability of her cell. At least there she'd been safe. _Safe._ Or at least as safe as one could be while living on borrowed time.

At the end of the hallway, they veered right and entered a room that Melody didn't recognize. It was one of the many rooms that normal citizens of The Ark didn't have clearance for. One glance around the room and she knew why this part of The Ark was off limits.

Sitting in the center of the room was a dropship.

The dropships were over a hundred years old and designed to withstand the descent to Earth when the time came that the radiation levels dropped enough to make the planet survivable again. Since they all knew that Earth wouldn't be inhabitable for a long, _long_ time, Melody could only conclude that they were using the dropship to perform a mass execution. Send it out into space and let it implode, with all of them on it. Disguise it as a 'mission for the good of The Ark' so that when they didn't come back, their families wouldn't cause an uprising.

Ingenious.

Spread throughout the rest of the room were different stations and at each station was an armed guard. They were handing out articles of clothing, shoes, and what looked to be some sort of high-tech bracelets. All throughout the room prisoners were reluctantly dressing and boarding the ship. Melody watched the process that each delinquent went through before being allowed onto the ship. It seemed a little excessive, all things considered.

"In here." A guard ushered Melody into a small cubicle. Three mirrored walls made up the dressing room. There was no fourth wall, no door; a guard stood with his back to Melody, blocking her from view. She spun around the small space, greeted at every turn by her reflection.

It was the first time in four years that she'd had the luxury of looking in a mirror. For the first time, Melody realized that although she'd gone into the skybox as a child, she was emerging as a woman. Gone was the scrawny, freckle faced child she'd known in her youth. The childlike roundness of her youth was gone and replaced by soft features and supple curves. Standing before her was a woman of average height, willowy and fair-skinned with only the faintest scattering of freckles dotting her cheekbones. Her hair was longer than it had ever been before, cascading around her shoulders like an untamable inferno. The only part of herself that she recognized were her eyes; still much too big for her face, and the color of moss.

Otherwise, it was like greeting a stranger.

"Put this on." A jacket hit Melody square in the chest and bounced off.

Grateful for a distraction, Melody bent over hastily and picked up the offending article of clothing, slipping it easily over her grey tank top. It was a lightweight anorak jacket, probably made of cotton, which had been dyed a dark green color. The jacket zipped all the way up to her throat, but was decorated on either side with brass snap-buttons that held the pockets closed. It was a loose fit, but there was an inner draw cord that Melody pulled tight to cinch the waist accordingly.

"And these." A pair of black leather combat boots were dropped carelessly at her feet.

Melody looked down at her sock-clad feet. How long had it been since she'd worn anything over them? The guard gave an impatient huff at her hesitation, prompting Melody to bend down and slide her feet into the boots. She laced them up over her pantlegs and then stood, wiggling her toes against the rubber soles before exiting the dressing room.

Why, she wondered, were they giving her a whole new wardrobe to die in?

It didn't matter now. She looked expectantly at the guard, waiting for further instruction.

"Everything fit properly?" Despite Melody's nod, the man scanned her up and down several times. When he was apparently satisfied with what he saw, he nodded curtly and gave the order. "Cuff her."

Fear struck Melody so hard that her knees buckled. With big eyes she watched another guard approach, in his hand one of those silver bracelets. Whatever that thing was, she did _not_ want it. The urge to run was so strong that she could feel it in her bones. When it came to the fight or flight response, she had a bit of trouble with the 'fight' part.

The guard took one step forward and Melody took one step back. She would have taken another and then another, enough to flee this damnable ship altogether, but then someone grabbed her from behind and held her in place. Melody thrashed her frail little body from side to side, desperate to escape as the first guard drew closer. She could remember all too well the feeling of the metal hand cuffs cutting into her wrists. It made her feel helpless and confined, weak and at the mercy of the guards. Which she was, regardless.

"Please…please." She cringed away from the approaching guard.

The guard stopped in front of her and Melody's eyes slipped shut. One of her arms was lifted into the air and then she was "cuffed." She let out a yelp, more out of surprise than pain, when she felt the prickling of tiny needles piercing her skin along the inside of the cuff. In a matter of seconds it was over, and a single silver bracelet adorned her right wrist.

"It's to monitor your vitals on Earth." Explained the guard. He prodded the little device until a green light flickered on. "There. All set."

Earth?

She wanted to kick and scream and demand that they tell her what the hell was going on. She wanted someone to make sense of this craziness. For just once in her life she wanted a straight answer from those in charge, those who carelessly held the fate of her life and countless others' in their hands.

Instead, all she could muster up was, "Did you just say _Earth_?"

The man grinned at her. "Have fun."

She was led away from the prepping station then and sent into the dropship. Her legs felt like rubber as she slowly made her way across the lower level. Melody didn't so much as glance at her fellow inmates on the way to her designated seat. Her mind was preoccupied and her movements were jerky, almost robotic, as she sat down in the seat and began to strap herself in.

 _They're sending us down there to die,_ she thought. All of the years she'd spent wondering about life on Earth suddenly seemed crazy. Why would anyone want to go to that godforsaken, radiation-soaked hellhole? There was no chance at survival; only certain death. And if she had to choose between being floated and being sent to Earth, she would pick the first option. Rather a quick death than a dragged out death.

"Isn't this exciting?"

Melody turned her head to stare at the boy seated beside her. He was strapped into a 'seat' on the wall, which meant that she was looking up at him. From what she could tell, he seemed to be about her age. He was scrawny, like her, but very tall. His eyes were big and brown, the same dark shade as his hair. And unlike Melody, he wore an excited grin on his face.

"We're going to Earth." She was dumfounded by his eagerness. "You know that, right?"

"I know." If possible, his grin grew even wider. He offered his hand to Melody. "I'm Jasper Jordan."

"Uh…Melody." She said quietly, thinking to herself that it didn't _matter_ what their names were. They were all about to die. And for some reason she was the only one who seemed concerned by the fact. Regardless, she shook his hand.

Melody looked around the dropship and was surprised to find more excited faces than anything else. A few of the other prisoners looked nervous, but those who did were few and far between. Most of the others were talking animatedly and voicing their excitement for the upcoming journey.

What was _wrong_ with these people? Didn't they realize what this meant?

"You do realize what this means, right? Us going to Earth." Said Melody. She raised her eyebrows at the boy who was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. She was determined to make him realize the danger of their so-called 'mission.' Even if they did manage to survive the landing -and that was a big _if_ \- the radiation would kill them as soon as they set foot on the planet. This was not a win-win situation. It wasn't a time to celebrate and make plans for the future. They had no future.

"Of course." For just a moment, Jasper's smile was genuine. "This is a fresh start."

Before Melody could counteract his words with logic, a large monitor towards the front of the dropship suddenly switched on and caught their attention. A video of the chancellor began to stream and it silenced the rest of the prisoners. Chancellor Jaha was a middle-aged man with dark hair, dark skin and equally dark eyes which had a way of looking right through a person. He always wore a somewhat grave expression, even when he was trying to be uplifting and positive. He had always intimidated Melody.

The man on the screen spoke calmly and seriously as he explained the purpose and the goals of the 'mission' they were about to embark on. Melody, along with 99 other prisoners, were going to be sent down to Earth to see if the planet was inhabitable. Their job was to keep on the bracelets they had been given, which would monitor their vitals and send the data back up to the Ark. If it was safe, the rest of the people on the Ark would come down to join them. If it wasn't, then it really sucked to be the 100.

"This is so epic." Jasper grinned at the boy who was strapped in beside him. He had black hair and kind eyes. Although a bit more reserved, he wore a smile that mirrored Jasper's in spirit.

"Jasper, we could _die._ " Melody said finally. "Don't you realize that?"

As if spurred on by the challenge, the ship roared to life. The whirring of the engine filled the air as the dropship began to rock slowly back and forth. On the screen, the chancellor wished all of them luck before the broadcast cut out and the screen went black. The only thing louder than the sound of the engines were the cheers of her fellow delinquents. As they all celebrated their impending doom, the ship was unceremoniously released into space.

Then they were falling.

Melody's stomach dropped. Her fingers tightened around the chest harness and she prayed that the century-old seatbelts would hold. The next few moments seemed to be the longest of her life, but eventually the engine died down bit by bit until it was little more than a dull roar. The feeling of falling disappeared and was replaced by the sensation of floating. They were following a predetermined route that had been programmed into the mainframe.

When the sound of the engine became background noise, Melody registered the sound of laughter and the clicking of several seatbelts. She turned her head to the side and her worst fears were confirmed; some of the delinquents were undoing their harnesses. One was floating in the air on his back, chatting casually with the rest, the picture of relaxation. _Spacewalker,_ they called him. Wanting their own five minutes of fame, others began to follow suit.

Melody watched them with a frown. They would be the first to go.

The initial shock of the take-off was over, but Melody still felt queasy. She uncurled her stiff fingers from around the harness and began to rub them together. When she looked up, Jasper was watching her with a strange expression on his face.

"What?" She asked, defensive.

"Don't you get it, Melody?" Jasper spoke in the same almost patronizing tone that Melody had used earlier. "This is the best thing that could have happened to us. No more days and nights spent rotting away in our cells. No more ridiculous rules, no more confinement, no more _Ark._ We're not coming down here to die; we're coming down to finally _live._ "

His way of thinking was certainly more appealing and his points were technically valid, but Melody just couldn't accept it. All of Jasper's optimistic ideas revolved around a big _if._ If they made it to Earth. If they survived the landing. If the radiation didn't kill them. If they managed to find the supplies they needed. All of his big plans were centered around blind faith.

Jasper saw the unconvinced look on her face and his smile faltered. ""Relax, Mels. We're gonna make it. Okay?" Even with the odds stacked completely against them, he didn't allow himself to lose hope. There was something almost inspiring in that.

Maybe, Melody thought wearily, she shouldn't have given up hope so soon. Regardless, there was no point in arguing with someone who was so set in their ways.

"Okay." She released a shaky breath and willed herself to be optimistic, but the smile that she offered Jasper was shaky at best. "We're going to make it."

Even as she said the words, she didn't believe them.

Jasper took the smile in stride. In return, he reached out and offered his balled up fist to her. For a few moments Melody was confused, but then she vaguely recognized the gesture. The action of 'fist bumping' was so purely _teenage_ that it unsettled her. Still, she shyly extended her own hand to bump hesitant knuckles with the boy.

 _Let yourself be a teenager, Melody._

Just as their fists would have connected, the ship lurched. Melody bit back a scream when she was jerked against the harness that held her to the seat. Tears smarted in the corners of her eyes and she blinked them back rapidly. The peaceful floating sensation was gone, and now they were plummeting through space an alarming rate, the dropship being flung this way and that with no apparent rhythm.

They had entered the Earth's atmosphere.

A hand wrapped around her wrist. Melody looked up at Jasper and saw that his smile had vanished. His brown eyes were wide and fearful, his face drained of all color. He looked to his friend on his other side and the boy flashed a thumbs up. Jasper then focused all of his attention on Melody, grip tightening as if he thought that by holding onto her he could somehow ensure her safety.

"Mels?" His voice was anxious. Melody realized that he was waiting for her to give him the okay, too.

"I'm good," She managed to gasp.

She wasn't. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage and the place where she'd been jerked against the straps ached. Melody closed her eyes and willed herself to be calm, but it was impossible when all around her it sounded like things were falling apart. There was crashing and grinding, metal on metal, and the undeniable sound of pieces off the ship breaking off. She wouldn't have been surprised to know that the whole ship was beginning to crumble. It was old, unreliable, and the conditions of the Earth's atmosphere were unpredictable.

People were screaming. Something warm and heavy fell against her side, weighing her down. When Melody opened her eyes she couldn't hold back her shriek at the sight of a limp body leaning against her. It belonged to one of the 'spacewalkers.' He hadn't been strapped into his seat when they entered the atmosphere and thus he'd suffered an injury to the head which had apparently killed him. With her free hand Melody shoved the body away from her before shivering and drawing further within herself.

Sparks flew everywhere. Bright flashes of gold and orange and yellow bounced off of the pieces of metal that were rubbing against each other. Within moments the electricity failed. More screams echoed throughout the dropship as its inhabitants were enveloped in darkness. Melody drew in a sharp breath and clenched her jaw, willing herself not to cry out like the rest of them.

The lights came back on momentarily before they began to flicker again. Melody glanced over at Jasper. He was leaning back against his own seat, eyes squeezed tightly shut. His grip on her wrist was still just as tight as it had been before. Melody's reached out and gave his arm a tight, reassuring squeeze. She was rewarded with a smile that she _really_ needed to get through this. The only constant at the moment was Jasper and the feel of his hand on hers. Jasper was steady. He was stable. He was the only thing that she was 100% sure of.

The lights flickered on and off, on and off, on and off. _Shouldn't we be slowing down?_ Melody wondered to herself. There should be some sort of mechanism in place that would slow them down before they hit the ground at a hundred miles per hour, but nothing changed. They were still heading towards the surface at full speed and everyone was _finally_ panicking, as Melody had wanted all along.

It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"It could take a few moments for the parachutes to deploy!" Said an unfamiliar voice from across the ship. "Don't worry."

Melody sighed. She repeated the words over and over again in her mind. _Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't-_

She was jarred from her thoughts when the dropship suddenly began to slow. The voice was right; the parachutes had just needed a few moments in order to deploy. Melody let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding and silently thanked whatever God there might be that they had managed to slow down. They still hadn't escaped danger. They were simply falling at a slower pace than they had been before. But right now, that was good enough for her.

The screaming came to an abrupt stop, but the tension in the air remained. No one could guess at what waited for them down on Earth, but at least they weren't going to crash into its surface and go up in flames. Hopefully.

The landing was sudden and the impact seemed to reverberate throughout Melody's bones as she was jerked against the straps once more. Then the ship was still, its occupants silent. No one spoke for a few moments. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

 _What next?_

"We made it." Melody murmured. " _We_ _made it_."

Everything was happening all at once. There was a flurry of activity as seatbelts were thrown off and friends were reunited. A hundred different voices filled the air, melding together into an indecipherable buzz. Whatever they'd felt in the beginning was now tenfold. Their excitement crackled in the air like electricity, contagious.

Against all odds, they'd made it. They were on the ground. They were _alive._

Melody leaned forward to unbuckle herself with shaky fingers. She fumbled with the buckles at first, unsure if the unsteadiness was a result of the pent-up fear or a newfound eagerness. Either way, she couldn't shed the straps fast enough.

Jasper, already out of his seat, knelt in front of her. "Let me help." He didn't wait for an answer before reaching for the buckles and making short work of them. When Melody was freed from the confines of the harness, he offered her his hand.

"Thanks." She gripped his hand and used it to pull herself to her feet. Her knees buckled and the whole world swayed. All that kept her upright was Jasper's steady hand in hers.

"Sea legs." Laughed the black-haired boy. Jasper's friend. "I'm Monty, by the way."

"Melody."

The world steadied and she withdrew her hand. Jasper lingered by her side and for a long moment the three of them stood there looking at once another. Melody was the first to drop her gaze, the scrutiny making her uncomfortable. Monty and Jasper seemed perfectly at ease, so impossibly in sync, wearing identical grins.

"So, what do you think Mon?" Jasper draped one arm over Melody's shoulders and pulled her into his side. She stumbled and leaned against him. The pressure on her shoulders was unfamiliar but not necessarily unwelcome.

"Hmm." Monty stepped back and looked between the two of them. He rubbed his chin in a comically thoughtful way that Melody had only ever seen people do on tv. After a few seconds of observation, Monty nodded.

"That settles it." Jasper clapped Melody on the back. "You're with us now."

 _You're with us now_. She'd never been 'with' anyone before. She hadn't seen or interacted with another person her age since grade school. Even then, she had never been big on making friends. Was that what this was? Friendship? The thought was like a weight being lifted off of her chest. She wasn't alone anymore.

"Okay." Said Melody.

Not that it had been an offer so much as a declaration.

The crowd began to move and the three of them got swept up in it. Everyone was eager to get to the door. It was all that separated them from freedom. Melody was bumped and jostled, her small stature making it easy to be overlooked. They were all fighting for the spots closest to the door and so somehow in the midst of the mass of bodies she got separated from Monty and Jasper. It was impossible to see over the heads of those around her, and so Melody continued to march forward in stride with the rest.

"We can't just open the doors!" Shouted someone. A girl.

Melody caught an elbow to the ribs as she was pushed aside. All she saw was the back of a blonde head as the girl shoved her way towards the front of the crowd. Others that were in her path cried out and shouted threats, but Melody simply rubbed at the tender spot and continued on, not wanting to get lost within the crowd any more than she already was.

All of a sudden they came to a halt.

"Hey, back it up guys!" A voice rang out, deep and authoritative.

They shuffled backwards obediently. At the front of the crowd, the two voices were arguing back and forth. Melody was too far away to make out what they were saying and too small to have any hopes of peering out over the crowd. The thick wall of delinquents blocked her path and she was either too shy or too polite to try and change that.

Suddenly, Melody got an idea. She stepped forward and wedged herself between two of her fellow delinquents, just barely fitting through the gap between their tightly-pressed bodies. No one even seemed to notice as she slid her way slowly towards the front of the dropship. She got a few curious glances, but otherwise the crowd remained oblivious. They were too focused on what was going on ahead of them.

It was through a fleeting gap in the crowd that Melody saw him.

He was older than the rest of them; taller, broader, and adorned in a guard's uniform. His olive-toned skin shone under a thin sheen of sweat and his dark hair was gelled back away from his face. Black eyes shone fiercely at the blonde in front of him, liquid onyx. He was equal parts beautiful and intimidating, but only the latter registered with Melody, whose steps faltered.

"The air could be toxic." Said the blonde.

Her side profile revealed high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Melody recognized her now, even though it had been years since she'd last seen the girl, and even then it had always been at a distance. Clarke Griffin. She was the daughter of Abigail Griffin, one of The Ark's top doctors. No...Dr. Griffin _was_ The Ark's topdoctor now.

Melody had seen to that.

"If the air is toxic, we're all dead anyways." Retorted the guard as he headed for the door.

Melody drew in a sharp breath. The moment of truth. Once the door was open there was no going back. Either they would finally breathe in clean, fresh air, or they would die from radiation exposure. Regardless, they were finally free of The Ark.

The guard reached for the lever, but a new voice rang out.

"Bellamy?"

A raven-haired girl stepped off of the ladder that led to the second floor. Her steps were slow and deliberate as she made her way across the lower level. The crowd parted for her without being asked, watching silently as she approached the guard.

"Octavia." There was a welcoming smile on the guard's face now.

They embraced and the crowd went wild.

"It's Octavia Blake!" Someone shouted.

"The girl they found living under the floors!" Said another.

 _Siblings,_ thought Melody in awe. No one on The Ark had siblings; it was forbidden. You had to be granted permission from the council in order to have a child, and even then you were only allowed _one._ The human race had to survive, but The Ark didn't want more mouths to feed than necessary. They had a hard enough time rationing as it was.

Octavia lunged for those who had spoken, only to be pulled back by her brother. Bellamy spun her around and placed both hands on her face. He said something that was too quiet for the rest of them to hear, but Melody could detect the soothing note in his voice.

"Come on." He raised his voice, making sure they could all hear. "Let's give them something else to remember you by."

Octavia scowled. "Like what?"

"Like being the first person on the ground in a hundred years."

He pulled the lever that opened the dropship door,

and they were home.


	2. Chapter 2

**[2]**

 _Home._

It was breathtaking.

Light filtered through the canopy of leaves, illuminating the forest floor. It was like something out of a dream. The trees were tall and leafy, a medley of interwoven greens and browns. Snake-like tendrils of ivy crawled up the bases of the trunks and dangled from the branches, overgrown, a tangled mess of vines. The scent of damp soil and vegetation filled the air.

Melody stared out at the overgrown forest in awe, slack jawed. This was it, this was _Earth;_ the mother planet. And it was _theirs;_ all of it, every square inch. It was boundless in its beauty, void of anything other than this vast expanse of nature and the ninety-eight delinquents that stood admiring its beauty. The _whole world_ was at their fingertips.

For the first time, the reality of this new life set in. She inched forward, desperate to explore the landing site and feel the warmth of the sun on her face and the breeze through her hair, to experience all that Earth had to offer radiation be damned. She'd taken only a step or two before there was a slight pressure on her hip, firm fingertips holding her in place. The girl tensed, gaze flickering towards the owner of the wandering hand.

Bellamy Blake was openly glaring down at her. Not frowning, not scowling – _glaring._ Green eyes widened in surprise and Melody recoiled. What, she wondered, could she have done _already_ to make herself so hated? There were a few long seconds where she couldn't comprehend anything other than her own confusion, but then it hit her; he thought she wanted to steal his sister's thunder. He thought she wanted to have the glory of being the first person on Earth to herself, wanted to be in the spotlight.

 _Oh, if only you knew_ , thought Melody.

Their gazes remained locked – his angry, hers wide -until Octavia began to move. Bellamy broke the eye contact first, and only in order to watch his sister take the first hesitant step off of the dropship door and onto the ground. Melody, once released from his gaze, shrank back and was surprised to find her hands shaking. She balled them up tightly and turned her attention towards Octavia, putting the whole exchange out of her mind.

The raven-haired girl had made her way towards the edge of the lowered dropship door and was now staring out at the forest in fascination. It seemed to Melody that they all held their breath as they waited for her to make a move. No one spoke, no one moved; they simply took in the moment, a unified front against this strange new world.

The thud of Octavia's boots against the ground was the sweetest sound Melody had ever heard, right up until the girl's victorious cry rang out.

"We're back, bitches!"

The air was filled with the sound of whooping and laughter as the 100 filed out of the dropship. It seemed as if they couldn't move fast enough. People were tripping over themselves in order to get outside. They all wanted to know the feeling of the ground beneath their boots. They wanted to run their fingers through the green leaves and they wanted to fill their lungs up with the sweet, sweet oxygen that had been deprived of them on the Ark. They were on Earth. Earth, the inhabitable planet. Against all odds they had landed safely and had yet to drop dead from radiation poisoning. They had completed the Ark's mission; they were free.

They were getting a chance to _live._

While the others ran forward, whooping and shouting as they explored their new home, Melody tentatively crept towards the edge of the dropship door. Her gaze fell upon the ground below them and she studied it intently, as if afraid it might all disappear in the blind of an eye. _We made it_ , she realized. _No fiery crash. No radiation poisoning. No hostile environment – we actually did it, we're on Earth._

She stared transfixed at the ground below her. It looked so soft, yet firm. The dark soil was laced with patches of bright green. It took Melody a few moments to identify the somewhat foreign plant. _Grass._ It was grass. She had made it to Earth and was surrounded by real, live grass. It was an extremely strange thought, but one that delighted her nonetheless. Grass! It was grass! She wanted to shout it from the rooftop, wanted to bask in the fact that she was surrounded by one of the most common plants of all time.

The Ark had fertilized dirt to grow their crops, but they didn't have this. Grass was a plant that grew naturally on the forest floor. It was something that Melody had only ever read about in books. She wanted to touch it. She wanted to just lay down in the middle of the field and roll around on the ground. She wanted to pick the grass and feel how soft or how rough it was. She wanted to gather the soil and let it filter through her fingers. She wanted it _all._ The need to do everything at once was almost overwhelming.

Just as Melody would have stepped off of the makeshift ramp, her feet were swept out from underneath her and she was wrapped up in Jasper's embrace.

"We made it!"

Jasper swung her around and around in countless circles until Melody's head was spinning and she felt like she was going to throw up all over him. In the midst of all the twirling and celebrating, Melody was struck first by the realization that she had never been _this close_ with someone before and second by surprise when she realized that it didn't bother her nearly as much as it should have. Maybe that was because she didn't get to have a real childhood, she'd never had the chance to interact with another person in such a way. It was kind of fun. Weightless. It made her unnaturally giddy and filled her with a childlike sense of joy that almost made the nausea bearable.

"We made it." He repeated as the two of them staggered to a slow stop. It was like he couldn't quite believe it. "We made it."

Melody wrapped one arm loosely around Jasper's shoulders and threw the other in the air, unsteady but victorious. "We made it!"

"Hey, I made it too." Teased Monty, who had come up behind them. "You aren't the only two people in the world, you know."

Melody laughed in response. She slid out of Jasper's arms and slowly, but surely, made her way over towards Monty. They had twirled one too many times and she was left staggering but grinning like an idiot. Once the world stopped spinning, Melody stumbled into Monty and gripped his arm tightly, partially to steady herself.

"We made it, Monty!" Amended Melody, throwing their joined hands up in the air as well. The two boys whooped once more in response.

"Are we going to sit here talking about how we made it?" Asked Jasper. "Or are we going to get out there and see what all the fuss is about?"

It was still so surreal to think that they had actually made it to Earth. Melody had always been infatuated with the world that had once been -and would again be- home to the human race. She loved learning about the plants and the animals and the way the world had once worked. Earth skills had been one of her favorite classes when she was younger. Yet what she'd been taught in class wasn't what she was experiencing now. They had been taught that the radiation from the nuclear wars wiped out everything in its path. Perhaps once it _had_ , but now everything looked…well, it looked normal. A little overgrown maybe, but normal.

Either the radiation on the planet was killing her very, _very_ slowly or it was gone. Melody wasn't an expert on the subject, but if she had to guess than she would guess the latter. How else could any sort of life exist here? And if it wasn't gone, shouldn't they all have dropped dead the moment the dropship doors were open? The questions lingered in the back of her mind, but Melody let them be temporarily abandoned, outweighed by her excitement.

They'd been dropped in the middle of an overgrown forest, home to trees so tall that Melody had to lean backwards and crane her neck just to look up at them. Even then she couldn't see where the trees ended and the sky began, the greenery overhead gapping just enough to let sunlight in. Some trees were so thick in diameter that she couldn't even wrap her arms around them. Green leaves bigger than her head hung from the branches in thick patches, sometimes accompanied by vine-like plants that connected everything with massive green canopies that loomed protectively overhead.

"This is amazing." Murmured Melody as they wandered aimlessly through the forest.

She ran her hand along the bark of the nearest tree and quickly snatched it back after encountering the foreign textures. It was rough against her fingers in places where she might have expected it to feel smooth, the moss squishier than it appeared from a distance. Her fingertips stroked the bark once again before running up the length of the tree base in order to caress the leaves on the low-hanging branches. Thoroughly intrigued by this strange form of life, Melody plucked one of the green leaves and brought it closer for examination.

On the Ark there had been only one tree, cultivated in a section of the ship that Melody had never even stepped foot on. Not everyone was allowed the same luxuries on the Ark, which led to Melody and countless others having been deprived of encountering anything even remotely linked to nature. Because of this, she'd spent countless hours poring over various books that focused on the Earth's environment. The faded pictures she'd found so fascinating paled in comparison to the real thing.

The memory of the books she'd read on the Ark had the gears in her head turning. Earth studies had always been one of her best subjects, but it'd been a long time since she'd seen a classroom and information that she'd once retained so easily struggled to come back to her now. There had to be some plants that were edible in this forest, but she couldn't remember any of the names. If they couldn't find any animals…if there _weren_ ' _t_ any animals, then they would have to find something to sustain themselves. If they were lucky, maybe they could find some fruit bearing trees. Apples or oranges or bananas…bushes filled with berries or nuts, anything resembling part of Earth's infamous bounty.

She was getting ahead of herself. Melody didn't even know how long they would last on this strange planet. The thought of still being there when winter rolled around was both frightening and exhilarating. She'd never experienced a change of seasons on the Ark. She'd never felt the rain against her skin, seen the vibrancy of autumn leaves, touched snow. Melody wanted to experience all of those things so badly that she could almost taste it.

And yet, she was afraid.

Afraid of not knowing what lay ahead, afraid of not knowing how to survive in this strange new world. If they wanted to make it on Earth for any extended period of time, then they were going to need to get to the supplies that Chancellor Jaha had spoken of in his message. The supply was stashed in an old bunker or something, built into the base of a mountain and supposedly still intact. The Ark had given them the coordinates, but now it was up to them to find what they needed to survive.

And if they didn't or couldn't…well, Melody didn't want to think about that.

She was saved from those thoughts by the sound of Jasper's panicked voice coming from across the open field. Her green gaze shot towards the boy, who was now standing in front of the dropship with a few of the others. She hadn't even noticed his absence, but it appeared that he'd lost interest in the trees. He'd been talking to the blonde girl, Clarke, the one who hadn't wanted them to open the doors. A pretty girl wasn't the only thing he seemed to have found – where pretty went, confrontation followed.

A large hand shoved Jasper away from the girl, causing him to stumble. The scene provoked something deep inside of Melody, some sort of protective instinct that came rearing its head in full force. For only the second time in her life, Melody had the urge to stay and fight rather than flee. It filled her up so suddenly, so strongly, that it stole her breath away and made her skin tingle with anticipation.

She turned her attention towards the bully, a dark-skinned giant with a fierceness in his brown eyes. She knew him immediately; Wells Jaha, the chancellor's son. She'd never met him before, but she'd seen him from afar and even if she hadn't, the resemblance was uncanny. On the Ark he had been a part of the ruling class, damn near royalty. Down here though, he was no one special, no one important – just another one of _them._ A cog in a machine, so to speak. He'd lost the right to call the shots and act without consequence the second they'd stepped foot on this new land.

Someone had to make that clear, and when no one moved forward she realized that that someone had to be her.

Melody had only taken a couple of steps in their direction when an arm shot out to block her path. She looked up and saw it was Monty standing there, the harsh frown that marred his face looking out of place when compared to the gentleness of the rest of his features.

"Melody." He sounded uneasy. "You don't want to go over there."

When she glanced back towards the dropship, Melody saw that there were others gathering there as well. It was a small pack of boys, all of them big and beefy and looking like they wanted any excuse to pick a fight. There had to be at least ten of them standing around Wells and Jasper, closing in with every passing second. Their leader was a tall, well-built boy with sandy brown hair that he wore brushed back away from his face.

"Hands off him, Chancellor Jr. He's with us." The boy said, his voice dark and threatening. He wasn't _asking_ ; he was commanding. And yet, it didn't seem like he wanted the other boy to comply.

In fact, it was almost as if he wanted Wells to defy him. There was no denying the resentment in his voice. Melody wouldn't put it past him, or any of the other delinquents, to be looking for an excuse to get their hands on the boy whose father had imprisoned them all. None of them were safe down here, but Wells maybe least of all.

Wells released Jasper and turned to the leader of the misfits with his hands raised in a sign of surrender. The other boys seemed to visibly deflate, no doubt upset that there wasn't going to be a fight. Some of them had spent years wishing for an opportunity like this, a chance to give back some of the unjust treatment they'd endured for so long.

"Relax. We're not looking for trouble." Wells spoke calmly, sensing the hostility that surrounded him on all sides. "Just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground." Chimed in Bellamy. One moment he was nowhere to be seen and in the next he was standing amidst a small crowd that had gathered to watch the scene. "That not enough for you?"

None of this was important to Melody. She wasn't interested in a pissing contest, she couldn't care less about _who_ came out on top. The only thing she cared about was the boy who'd been caught in the middle of it all.

"Are you alright, Jasper?" Melody closed the last few feet between them. She glanced him over for any sign of outwardly harm and was glad that he seemed unphased by what had just happened.

She didn't have much experience in the friends department, considering the fact that she'd never really had any, and she didn't really even know whether or not she'd known Jasper long enough to be considered his friend, but she _did_ know the golden rule of friendship: stick up for your friends no matter what. Even if you were afraid, even if you were a scrawny redhead who couldn't fight your way out of a wet paper bag. You protected the people that you cared about.

And so, when Wells had challenged one of the only two friends she had, Melody took it seriously.

It was hard to explain the tie she felt to Jasper; Melody didn't even understand it herself. She'd met the kid less than an hour ago, didn't really know the first thing about him, but if asked she had no doubt that she'd follow him to the ends of the Earth. Maybe it was because he'd been there for her during the crash landing and that had instilled a sense of loyalty in her. Jasper had been the one to hold her hand and tell her it was going to be okay, had made her smile when she was scared, had made her laugh when it seemed impossible.

Jasper was her friend and that meant something to a girl like Melody, who had never really 'had' anyone before.

"I'm fine." Jasper held out his arms and spun in a slow circle. "See? Not a scratch on me. Takes more than that to shake up ol' Jasper Jordan."

With that settled, the three of them rejoined the rest of the group only to find that Bellamy and Clarke were at odds again, arguing over the best course of action. The latter had suggested that they all go out and look for the supplies that their Chancellor had told them were secured in a place called Mount Weather _._ Bellamy felt that Clarke and Wells, as the only two 'privileged'members of the group, should go by themselves. No one else seemed to object to that, years of resentment too strong to be forgotten.

Melody was listening to the two sides of the argument, not really invested, when a rough set of hands pushed her aside. She sidestepped, caught and steadied by Monty. As she straightened up, Melody reflected on the fact that she'd been tossed around enough today to last a lifetime. A frown tugged at her lips and she rubbed her aching shoulder, watching as the leader of the misfit boys strolled to the front of the crowd and came to a stop in front of Wells.

Out of nowhere, the boy lurched forward and shoved Wells away from him. He mocked Wells, calling him _The Chancellor of Earth._ He'd found his 'in', his excuse for a fight. In one corner was the unnamed leader, with bloodlust in his eyes, and in the other was Wells Jaha who looked weary and unwilling to fight. It was clear by his pleading that he wanted to solve their problems with words, not fists. Melody didn't know much about either one of them, but she _did_ know that if she had to choose for someone to make the rules, she would pick Wells over the other guy any day.

The leader knocked Wells' feet out from under him with a single swipe. It made Melody a little uncomfortable, seeing someone who was usually regarded with high respect lying there in the mud. When Wells got back to his feet, she saw that he was favoring his left leg while backing away from his attacker. Both hands came up to protect his face because that was really all he could do; he wasn't ready for a fight. But despite Wells' limp, the other boy advanced, looking eager.

Out of nowhere, another boy dropped down from the top of the dropship, planting himself between Wells and the leader. As he stood up and brushed back his shaggy hair, there was a chorus of delighted 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the crowd. They were starstruck. The boy looked pleased, maybe even a little smug as he stood there, facing the attacker with his hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Melody realized then that these kids were looking for a show, and it didn't matter what kind – a minute ago they'd been eager for blood, and now they were cheering for the good guys to win. They didn't care about anything other than their own entertainment.

"Kid's got one leg." The shaggy-haired boy said. "How about you wait until it's a fair fight?"

There were a few moments of hesitation where the leader looked like he would rather go up against both of them than back down. It was just his type, Melody supposed. She half expected him to say 'screw it' and go for both of them. And yet, he slowly eased his way away from the crowd with an annoyed huff.

Octavia came strolling up as soon as the show was over with a taunting, "Hey, Spacewalker. How about you rescue me next?"

 _Spacewalker_ – the name rang a bell. He was the first one who to climb out of his seat before the dropship had come into contact with Earth's gravitational pull. He'd made it look like a game, a game which had resulted in the death of two or three of the dropship's other passengers. The tiny bit of respect that Melody had for him, respect gained when he stood up for Wells, quickly faded away as she realized this.

The crowd dispersed in a fit of laughter, everyone going their separate ways cured of both curiosity and boredom. The excitement of the landing seemed to have died down now, and people were forming small groups to talk animatedly about what was next to come. Melody didn't really know what she was supposed to do now, so she trailed after Jasper and Monty. They had joined a few of the others, some boys that she didn't recognize.

 _Of course you don't recognize them, Melody_ , she chided herself. _How the hell would you_?

"Hey guys, this is Melody." Monty introduced as she joined the small group. "Melody, these are our friends, Jacob and Fletcher."

The boys were quick to reintroduce themselves as Jake and Fletch, which amused Melody. She didn't know if she'd ever get over how _normal_ they all were, how stereotypical and unashamedly teenage. She smiled at them and shook each of their hands in turn, trying to remember how to be polite. The action that felt entirely foreign, robotic even, but it was what they expected of her and so she did it.

"You guys knew each other on the Ark?" Melody asked.

"Oh we go _way_ back." Said Monty. "Took the same classes in school."

"And what about you, Melody?" One of the guys, the one she thought they called Fletch, turned his attention towards her. "I don't think I've seen you around."

The question was innocent enough, but it made her whole world stop. Gut tightening in fear, Melody found it difficult to breathe as all eyes swung towards her. The answer was so painfully simple that it wouldn't have been taken more than a few seconds to explain, but she couldn't bring herself to utter a single world. Most of her teenage years had been spent in fear of never being able to explain herself, and now that the opportunity presented itself she was faced with the reality of having everything laid bare.

She'd always thought that she was afraid of the truth dying with her when she was floated, but now Melody realized that an even bigger fear lied in being exposed for what she was – a murderer.

What could she possibly tell them? The truth - that she'd killed a man in cold blood and had spent the last four years locked up in solitary confinement? That wasn't who she was, it wasn't what she wanted to be known for. Melody had spent so long living in the shadow of her past and she didn't want to have to do that down here. This was supposed to be a fresh start; their sins were supposed to be forgiven and their records wiped clean.

"I, uh…" She trailed off, palms sweating. She tried swallowing down the lump that had formed in her throat, but it was useless.

"Of course you wouldn't have seen her around, Fletch." Jasper scoffed at his friend and rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have seen _anyone_ around. We've all been locked up, remember? Or have all those 'herbs'gone to your head?"

They all laughed it off, no one seeming to pick up on Melody's discomfort. The subject changed and she felt herself gradually easing up, but that one conversation about filled her small talk quota for the day. Getting too comfortable wasn't a good idea with anyone, let alone down here and with present company. The last thing she wanted was to leave herself open for…well, she didn't know what. But she didn't want it.

As all of these thoughts plagued her, their group was approached by the Spacewalker himself. To what they owed this great honor Melody didn't know, but he pulled Monty and Jasper away from the rest of them so it must be something important. Maybe he needed someone to fluff his hair. All snark aside, Melody felt vulnerable standing in that circle of people without the only two she considered friends, so she quickly followed after them.

The three of them were circled around Clarke, heads together as they discussed something intently. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were up to. They were gathering troops; recruiting people for the Mount Weather expedition. After Bellamy's opposition she doubted they'd get very many volunteers, but she had to give them props for deciding to make the journey anyways.

Melody approached the group just in time to hear Octavia say, "Make it five."

Five of them – the numbers weren't too bad considering that the group had started out with just Clarke and Wells. When Melody surveyed the little gathering, she found that one of its founding fathers was nowhere in sight despite how hard he'd been fighting for the cause earlier. It was just Clarke, the Spacewalker, Monty, Jasper, and Octavia.

And now Melody.

She really didn't know much about what she was getting herself into. The Chancellor hadn't been very specific, and even if he had given them step by step instructions there was no way of knowing how easy it'd be to follow them. Who knew what was out there? All _she_ knew was that she wasn't about to let her two new friends go off on an adventure all by themselves. More importantly, she wasn't about to let them leave _her_ all by _herself_ in this camp of degenerates.

And so, it seemed there was only one solution to her problem.

"No," Said Melody, stepping forward. "Make it six."


End file.
